Animal Saviors: Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship

Tucked back off of state highway D, in Oak Ridge, is a barn that holds more than just horses: it holds hope. Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship (MVTH) offers equine therapy to individuals -- from child to adult -- with special needs.

There are several organizations through Southeast Missouri that are aligned to save and rescue animals. MVTH flips that script, and brings animals to humans to bring them health and hope.

"Each participant in our program has different personal goals," said program director Varina Luttrull in an earlier interview. "Whether it be families who are hoping that their participant will work on cognitive abilities, there are those who work on more physical abilities [and] others it's an emotional, or a behavioral, issue that needs to be addressed."

Margie Nation's daughter, Becki Nation, who is now 26, was one of the first-ever riders at MVTH at the age of 9. Becki lives with cerebral palsy, and the movement of the horse mimics a human's walk, said her mother. Other exercises that Becki is instructed to do help strengthen her body in specific, unique-to-her ways. With a tightened right hand, turning the reins to the right, to get her horse to turn, is a good exercise for that specific physical challenge; as well as the exercise in which she has to stand up in the saddle helps strengthen her legs, according to Margie.

"Our first and foremost is: we are riding instructors who teach to a different audience," Luttrull said.

Becki Nation, center, is lifted out of her wheelchair in preparation to be positioned on her therapy horse with the assistance of Leigh Anne Statler, left, and her mom Margie Nation, right, during a therapy session at Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship Dec. 11 in Oak Ridge.

This not-for-profit organization relies heavily on its volunteers. Pulling from local community members, MVTH has a large number of its volunteers come from Southeast Missouri State University, and the therapy barn works its lesson schedule around Southeast's semester schedule.

"Typically we start with a team of three," Leigh Anne Statler, the Tuesday night instructor, said. "[There's] a leader who works with the horse ... and then we have two sidewalkers, who are responsible to sustain the rider as needed."

The volunteers generally pick one night a week to volunteer their time, creating consistency and routine with the riders as much as possible, which allows them to "build that relationship with [the rider] so they conversate with you," Kim Scheffer, a volunteer of six years, said. "And you kind of know a little bit of background about them, and you can get them a little more interactive through the whole process out there."

"From a volunteer standpoint," Luttrell reflected, "you can be having a really, really tough, crappy day -- and you're just trudging into the barn because you made that obligation to do it -- and you end up leaving feeling ten times better than you did when you walked in because you get smiles and giggles."

Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship always needs volunteers and would love to see more members of the community take part in the barn, according to current volunteers and staff members.

Kim Scheffer helps Amelia Luttrull, 9, take the lead of her horse after finishing a group lesson at Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship Dec. 11 in Oak Ridge.KASSI JACKSON